Cold Lake Provincial Park is an Alberta Parks provincial park three kilometres northeast of Cold Lake off Highway 28. Alberta Parks says it sits in a transition zone between parkland and boreal forest.
The park protects marshes, mixedwood forests, sand beaches, and lakeshore landscapes that support birds and other wildlife.
Cold Lake is a large northern lake park with one day-use area, one campground, and one group-use area. Alberta Parks highlights tall-tree camping, sandy beach time, canoeing, sailing, boating, wildlife watching, and northern sunsets.
Birding is a major reason to visit. Alberta Parks says the lake's depth creates a thermal basin that delays ice formation until well into December, extending the birding season. More than 200 bird species occur here, including breeding wood warblers, yellow rail, sedge wren, one of Alberta's largest nesting western grebe colonies, and many waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, and forest species.
Activities include beach use, birding, camping, paddling, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, ice fishing, interpretive programs, power boating, sailing, swimming, water skiing, wildlife viewing, snowshoeing, and interpretive hiking. There are nine kilometres of formal trails for hiking and mountain biking and almost 10 kilometres of groomed ski trails.
Wildlife viewing can include moose, deer, coyote, lynx, bear, fisher, and garter snake, according to Alberta Parks.
Plan around camping, beach time, birding, boating, sailing, paddling, fishing, ice fishing, swimming at the Medley River mouth, hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, and wildlife viewing.
Confirm campground status, boat and marina plans, fishing regulations, swimming areas, trail conditions, ski grooming, maps, advisories, weather, and Alberta Parks updates.
